Buckle.



G. MEINHARDT.

BUCKLE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 16, 1908.

Patented Novl 24, 1908.

w/mgssfs: JA/MMX CONRAD MEINHARDT, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF OOLUMBlA.

BUCKLE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 24, 1908.

i Application filed May 16, 1908. Serial No. 433,235.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CoNRAD liliiinnann'r, 'esiding at iVashington, in the District ot Columbia, have invented certain new and usetul lmprovements in Buckles, oli which the following is a speeiiication.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in buckles particularly adapted for use in connection with straps for securing mail-bags and the like, and the present invention has for its object to provide an improved buckle of the type disclosed in my Patent No. 899,121, issued September 22, 1908, and the invention comprises a hook member and an eye member having a sliding` bridge and a inger engaging lever for operating the bridge to etlect a quick release of the strap from the eye member and also means for locking the finger engaging lever in a fixed position so that the strap may not be released as long as the lever is locked.

More speciiically my invention embodies those novel details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts all of which will be first fully described, and then be spe ciieally pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1, is a perspective view showing the application oi' my invention to a mailbag, the neck portion of the mail bag being shown in the drawings. Fig. 2, is a detail perspective view of the strap and buckle complete. Fig. 3, is a top plan view of the buckle and strap ends, the parts being in the strap securing position with the pad-lock removed. Fig. 4l, is a central vertical longitudinal section, the parts being in their locked position. Fig. 5, is a similar view, the parts being in their released position. Fig. G, is a detail perspective view, the finger engaging lever being disconnected from the eye member.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters and numerals of reference indicate like parts in all of the figures, 1 represents the hook member and 2 the eye member.

The hook member 1 has an eye 1a through which the end of the strap 5 passes, the strap 5 being riveted or otherwise secured to the hook member in a permanent manner, as at 51. The eye member 2 may be formed of any desired material and is provided with upturned ears 2a between which a releasing lever #l is pivoted, the lever i having a iinger engaging end 4l. and laterally projecting studs 4l which project into bearing aperturesI in the ears Q. The lever el is also provided with a heel Ll to cuter a slot E in a sliding bridge member 3 which slides on the hook member 2 and is held in place by the lever el. and by the curled over ends 3 which embrace the eye member 2, as shown most clearly in Figs. l and 5 of the drawings.

The bridge member 3 has a projecting portion 3b that is of such a width as to be movable between the ears 2 and the eye member Q, and the projecting' portion 3b, is formed with a slot 3 to receive the heel l@ ot the lever 4 hereinbelore referred to.

The lever 4 in my present invention is provided with an aperture lx to permit passage of the lug 2x of the eye member 2, the lug 2x being provided with an aperture ZY through which a 'fastening means 6 may be passed to lock the lever L'l in a fixed position so that the strap may not be released. The securing means may be in the nature of an ordinary pad-lock such as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. This is desirable when the buckle is to be used to fasten inail-bags when it is desired that such bags are to be locked, as when registered mail is being transported.

In the present application the strap end 5b is passed through the eye member 3d of the bridge member 3, from the under side, as indicated in full lines in Fig. 4 and down between it and the 'liront bar 2e of the eye member 2 and between the same as shown in Fig. 4l. The operator then pulling on the strap 5 in the direction of the arrow fr, will draw the sliding' bridge member in the same direction, thus causing the lever 4; to swing down in a direction opposite to the arrow i/ in Fig. 5, until the parts assume the position shown in Fig. 4, when the bars 3e will clamp the end of the strap 5 and firmly hold the same from movement. By pulling on the strap 5 and grasping the bridge member, the strap may be drawn tight after the hook member has been hooked into the eye member in a manner which will be readily understood to those skilled in the art. Should it be desired to release the strap from the package or mailbag, it is only necessary to grasp the lever fl and pull on the same in a direction away from the hook member while simultaneously lifting up on the same. This will draw the bridge member toward the hook member and release the strap so that the strap can pass through the buckle to such a degree as to enable the eye member being readily nnhooked from the hook member.

My improved form of buckle is particularly adapted for use to fasten mail-bags and the like Where it is desired to have an eiiect ive fastening means which can be quickly and easily unhooked or unlocked so that the mail-bag may be quickly opened and so that the bag may reversely be also quickly locked. I `urthermore, by providing the means for locking the lever when my invention is used on mail-bags the ordinary pad-locks used by the Post Office Department may be used to lock the buckle on the mail-bags with the use of my invention and avoid the necessity of having a special construction of lock for that purpose.

Then I speak of strap Ido not ,desire to limit myself by such term to any particular strap, as any material or strap may be used which Will perform the desired function.

From the foregoing description taken in connection viith the accompanying drawings it is thought the complete construction, operation and many advantages of my invention ivill be readily understood by those skilled in the art to Which the invention appertains.

That I claim is:

l. A buckle comprising a member, a ysliding bridge mounted thereon and having an a `lever pivotally mounted between said ears and having a heel to coperatively engage said bridge to move the same along ksaid member, and means for locking said lever from movement.

2. In a buckle, an open member having up-turned ears, a bridge having an eye and having a vportion vto embrace said open member and slidable thereon, and a lever pivotally mounted -betiveen said ears to engage said bridge to move the same, together With means for locking the said lever from movement.

3. In a buck-le, an open member having up-turned ears, a bridge -having an eye and having portions to embrace vsaid open member to be Islidable thereon, said ybridge having a portion to project` between said ears, said last named portion having an aperture, a 4lever pivotally mounted between said 'ea-rs and having a lheel to engage said aperture of the projecting portion of the bridge to operate the same, together with means for 'locking said lever from movement.

CONRAD MEINHARDT.

/Vitnesses ALBERT E. DIETERICH, Gro. S. LIVINGSTON. 

